(h/t foreversouls)

For me as a pastor, the week before Easter is a contemplative time. Oh, there’s lots of activity — special Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday worship services to prepare and lead, for instance — but within all that activity, there is space for reflection and meditation as well.

In our Good Friday liturgy last night, there was a prayer that has stayed with me. "Let us pray for those in need," said the assisting minister, and then there was silence for contemplation — several minutes of it — before the prayer continued. In these times of economic distress, I had plenty on which to ponder. 

I thought about one of our local charities in Kansas City: Harvesters. In 2004, they started a pilot program in one local school called "BackSnack," where low-income kids were given a backpack filled with food on Friday afternoon that would help get them and their family through the weekend. These are kids whose best meals are those provided through the free lunch program at school, which doesn’t serve anyone on Saturday and Sunday. That first year, BackSnack served 30 children, and last year they served 650. They have found that BackSnacks help not just the children’s health, but also their behavior, their grades, and their self-esteem. This year, thanks to some major corporate and individual donations, they expect to give out BackSnacks to 8,000 kids. That’s right: from 650 to 8000.

I also thought about La Clinica, a health clinic in St. Louis that provides low-cost health care to a mostly hispanic and immigrant community — without asking to see any proof of legal residency. That last piece makes La Clinica ineligible for federal grants, and with the downturn in the economy, other donations have dried up. It’s never been easy for La Clinica, but last week, it became impossible, and La Clinica announced that it is closing its doors.  Speaking of their undocumented clients, the executive director said, "These are the invisible people" — often exploited by employers, and whose needs are often ignored. 

Shark-Fu, the Angry Black Bitch, is a local St. Louis blogger and activist, who writes:

The loss of La Clinica highlights multiple needs…for quality affordable healthcare, for multi-lingual healthcare options to address racial disparities in care…and for the reform of immigration policy that forces people underground, discourages them from seeking medical care for fear of deportation and puts all of us at risk.

There are several providers serving the uninsured and under-insured in the city. Some have bi-lingual staff…others may or may not ask a patient’s legal status.

But the loss of La Clinica, a trusted provider, demonstrates the far-reaching impact of our economic crisis.

One clinic’s closure equals our community’s loss.

Amen, sister. Amen.

"Let us pray for those in need." That was last night’s prayer, but I can’t get it out of my head today. We could be talking about Kansas City, St. Louis, or the town where you live — "those in need" are all around. Whether you are one who prays or not, I ask that you remember those in need, and find ways to help as you are able.